Romania bets on flexibility in its power system
Romanian energy giant Hidroelectrica has announced a comprehensive plan to install energy storage systems across all its run-of-river hydroelectric plants. The project aims to increase the flexibility of the national power system and enable the shifting of excess energy from daytime production to evening peak demand periods.
Why now? Market challenges and price volatility
Romania, like many European countries, is experiencing increasing electricity price fluctuations. As Bogdan Nicolae Badea, CEO of Hidroelectrica, notes, there can be 7–8 time slots in a single day with very low or even negative electricity prices, while in other hours, prices rise sharply.
The lack of energy storage means that renewable generation is not fully utilized. Adding storage to run-of-river hydro plants will allow excess energy to be shifted over time. “Romania’s energy system is currently unbalanced. We are seeing the retirement of many baseload capacities, and without storage infrastructure, electricity prices for consumers are higher than they could be,” Badea stated at the Profit Energy Forum.
Hydro + Storage = A new paradigm in energy
While hybrid combinations of storage with solar or wind farms are already common in Europe, Romania is now applying this logic to the hydro sector.
Traditional reservoir hydro plants can regulate water flow via dams and retention reservoirs. In contrast, run-of-river plants, which make up a significant part of Hidroelectrica’s portfolio, depend on real-time river flow, making their output far less flexible. Integrating energy storage systems (BESS) will allow these plants to operate in a quasi-dispatchable mode, delivering energy when it is most needed.
In April 2025, Hidroelectrica announced a €16 million investment in a 36 MW / 72 MWh BESS at the Crucea Nord wind farm, implemented by a consortium of local companies Prime Batteries Technology and Enevo Group.
The next step is the construction of a 64 MW / 256 MWh storage system at the country’s second-largest hydro plant, Porțile de Fier II on the Danube. The investment is estimated at €61.2 million, and the installation will support system balancing and optimization of hydro plant operations.
Romania’s energy storage market on the rise
Romania is emerging as one of the fastest-growing energy storage markets in Europe. According to forecasts, by the end of 2026, national installed storage capacity is expected to reach around 2.2 GW.
Hidroelectrica, which operates 188 hydro plants totaling 6.4 GW and a 108 MW wind farm, also plans to install photovoltaic systems at selected hydro sites. Such hybridization of renewable sources is aimed at enhancing the stability and efficiency of the overall energy system.